About his contacts with russia. And this is al jazeera live from london also coming up. Frances refugees in bangladesh and ask for forgiveness for the worlds indifference to their suffering. The United Nations so as to the world global crises have put at least one hundred thirty five Million People in need of aid. And senior military Officials Join zimbabwes new government critics say the old guard still dominates. We begin in the United States where president Donald Trumps former National Security adviser has pleaded guilty to lying to the f. B. I. About the extent of his russian contacts speaking in Court Michael flynn admitted his actions were wrong as had he was directed to make contact with the Russian Ambassador in december twenty sixth seen by a Senior Member of Transition Team the charges against have been brought by special Counsel Robert Mueller has passed. An investigation into alleged russian meddling in last years president ial poll flynn is now fully cooperating with the investigation the white house has dismissed then statements as false well for more on this we can speak to our reporter particle hane who is in washington d. C. Patty you were believe were caught water else did you hear and see. Well were sure to find out a little bit more in about an hour thats when the documentation the supporting documentation is going to be released to the public but in the courtroom we did learn some more information so basically mike flynn former general mike flynn former National Security adviser to President Donald Trump he admitted that he lied to the f. B. I. This is a pretty minor charge with it up to five years in prison but we believe that he was facing a much more serious allegations but by doing this he says he will cooperate with the special counsels investigation and. Basically hes flipped means hes going to testify against other Senior Administration officials now exactly which officials we dont yet know but we were told in court that he was got a call from mara largo you know thats the president trumps florida basically hotel and he was directed by several senior transition officials to make this contact with russia to basically say i know obama president obama just sanctioned you dont retaliate he got off the phone with the ambassador to russia called mara lago again then they say he also lied about a call from a very Senior Administration official thats where the prosecutor put it didnt give any details about calling countries like russia and other countries directing them they said to vote against a u. N. Security Council Resolution now in the in the in the paperwork it doesnt say exactly what that resolution was so we believe it was a resolution that would condemn israel for settlements we are told that russia called him back and said no were not going to vote against it and then he once again spoke with Senior Members of the Transition Team so that is whats laid out in the indictment also hes charged with lying to prosecutors about when he registered as a Foreign Agent this was after he was fired from the white house he said he wasnt really working with turkey and things like an op ed that he penned and they say you in fact was lied about that and that he was directed by the government of turkey. Thats a have we got any sense from the things that he said as to why hes decided to take this on to join now with the investigation to try and assist it. He had plenty of times to make the statement on camera today there are more than a few reporters as you can imagine but he said nothing as he entered the courtroom but he has since released a paper statement basically saying that all of these allegations hes heard. Of treason are absurd he said that thirty three years he served the military was away from his family but that he has made mistakes and that he is choosing to take these actions for the best because its best for him his family and the country know exactly how high up is its going to go its unlikely that muller would have done anything like this indictment unless he had some pretty big evidence to give to him could it go directly to President Donald Trump it seems possible especially if you look at the way the president has reacted telling his own f. B. I. Director to lay off the investigation into general flynn and then when he wouldnt firing him so its not clear yet from anything weve heard in court exactly who mahlers going to target next but its pretty clear going to help him try to get them. Outside the court well lets zip across to the other side of town where kimberly hellcat is outside the white house for us complete what sort of reaction have we been getting from either the president or the white house. We havent had a reaction from either so far the president is set to sit down with the libyan Prime Minister in the oval office in just a few moments he has just arrived and there is an opportunity that the president could speak to a small group of reporters there but for now what we do have is a statement handed out by the white house to reporters who have been congregating here not surprisingly looking for reaction in a statement from Donald Trumps lawyer ty cobb essentially theirs are downplaying of these charges against flynn pointing out that he was in the administration for just twenty five days according to the statement and that the white house took action against him and that these charges really are relatively low level in the statement ty cobb says the the the statements that Michael Flynn has made that hes admitted lying to investigators near the false statements to white house officials which resulted in flynns resignation the statement goes on to say nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicate anyone other than Michael Flynn certainly there are suggestions to the contrary with regard to that because of course Michael Flynn was one of the closest advisers to the president on the campaign trail. He was the white house National Security advisor for only three weeks but in that time Michael Flynn back to videos helped to cast a shadow over an administration from which it has yet to emerge although the investigation by special Counsel Robert Mueller has focused primarily on the alleged ties of Donald Trumps president ial campaign to the Kremlin Flynn ties the investigation to the oval office itself. The retired army general was a top spokesman for the campaign with the family of a terror suspect i would i would have to see whats the chances of that situation when you sitting me after taking over as National Security adviser his activities came under heavy scrutiny when. Was discovered he had a phone conversation with the Russian Ambassador to the United States in december before trump became president it was reportedly the same day new sanctions were announced against russian government officials by president barack obama some reports suggested flynn offered to cancel the sanctions once in office they did not discuss anything having to do with the United States decision to expel diplomats or or impose a censure against russia but when reports surface flynn may have discussed sanctions trump fired him reluctantly what was wrong was the way that other people including yourselves in this room were given that information because there was classified information it was given illegally thats the real problem that discomfort with flints removal soon became a lightning rod for accusations of obstruction against the president. The man initially leading the investigation into rushing collusion f. B. I. Director james comey told senators the president suggested to him during a meeting in the oval office he should let the flame case go i dont think its for me to say whether the conversation i had with the president was an effort to obstruct i took it as a very disturbing thing very concerning. So again the white house through a Statement Issued to reporters by the president s attorney hi cobb downplaying the significance of the charges against Michael Flynn noting the charges are low level but also trying to counter the suggestion in the media and those in the courtroom who listen to the statements that were made by Michael Flynns legal team and also in his public Statement Issued to the media that there may be any sort of suggestion that he is cooperating with the special prosecutor michael rather Robert Muller in order to try and get to a larger target in this case the president thank you kimberly that with the latest from outside the white house. Pope franciss use the word for the first time on his asia trip on bangladesh he met with refugees from mammo he asked them for forgiveness for all they have endured and for the indifference of the world he devoted using the word to hinge while in neighboring mammal for fear of risking the prosecution of catholics in the country. Will continue to recognize their rights we wont close our hearts to them we wont look in another direction the presence of god today is also a cold every one of us needs to respond in the right way. Shall stop for how small from there the course of pollen counts and bangladesh where many of the. Its a word that the International Community use the United Nations use of bangladesh uses to describe the refugees that have fled across this border in the last couple of months more than six hundred twenty five thousand of them the word is really injure and the pope finally used it in talking to a group of ranger refugees that traveled specifically to meet him from this area close to the Myanmar Border they met him in their car it was following that meeting that he said the presence of god god today is also called ranger this trip to myanmar and bangladesh has been diplomatically very difficult for the pope he has until now avoided using that word. There were fears of a potential backlash against christians in me and if he used it but for all intents and purposes it seems as if once being faced with these refugees refugees with very terrifying stories one woman who met him spoke to reuters before that meeting and said that she was going to describe to him how she and other women were taken away by the Myanmar Military and raped she said she was going to speak to the pope and demand action from him it finally seems as if he had very little choice but to mention the name of their ethnic group and this is hugely significant ensuring International Published a t two a crisis in this country that can only be described as one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today and i said nations has launched a record appeal for more than twenty billion dollars to help victims of conflict and humanitarian crises around the world the u. N. Says more than one hundred thirty five Million People across the world need eight on diplomatic genspace reports from geneva. The u. N. Says its the worst humanitarian disaster on earth in yemen the people are suffering from conflict and a continuing cholera epidemic the situation only made worse by a saudi blockade stopping much of the food and medicine from getting to those who so desperately need it the u. N. Appeal for twenty eighteen estimates there are in the country twenty two Million People in need the situation in yemen is atrocious the number of people in need of population in twenty of twenty million is approaching twenty million seven or eight million of those people are right on the verge of famine and starvation we need to get their paws fully opened so that the fields around the Water Systems can get the fuel to get the food ram a country can get in more commercial food as well as the aid can get in until those things happen the situation will continue to deteriorate and the risk of millions of lives being lost will grow yemen is just one of many civil tenures emergences making this a time of unprecedented need in its appeal for twenty eighteen the u. N. Says it believes there are almost one hundred thirty six Million People in need they come up with a plan to help almost ninety one Million People and that will cost twenty two point five billion dollars but i have to say i dont think were going to get all that money you just have to look at this year twenty seventeen their appeal was fifty two point five percent funded from south sudan to syria from afghanistan to the refugees from myanmar conflict is the main cause of the human suffering and in most cases these are conflicts with no end in sight james pais aljazeera at the United Nations in geneva. Still to come on aljazeera a potential game changer for Renewable Energy the Worlds Largest lithium ion battery. An australia. We had to hong kong where experts are contemplating big point could have on the financial markets. Welcome back as we take a look at the weather across the levant and western parts of asia you see some snow towards all marty there but otherwise its looking generally fine temperature not too bad for a couple there at twelve degrees some of the temperatures for tehran back that pleasant there twenty degrees and sunshine all looking good around the eastern side of the mediterranean quite a warm one in favorites in lebanon heading only into sunday enormous change fine conditions expected to continue same really goes across much of the robin pinch a little bit cool there for reactors might some of just twenty two degrees still pretty warm in mecca quite a bridge sprays blowing down through the gulf. Cooling it slightly in doha a maximum of twenty seven degrees abu dhabi there twenty eight lets head across into southern portions of africa its a largely fine picture here too you see in the south i mean sure there is a fair amount of cloud across eastern parts of south africa but youve got to get up into central parts of go there and across northern parts of zambia to pick up significant share right to vittie said throw into showers the eastern parts of south africa but cape town should be generally dry and fine and quite wet on the eastern side of madagascar antananarivo seen some heavy showers for central parts of africa weve got a few showers for the bone also for congo and congo were expecting highs of thirty in leap of ill. It. Welcome back remind of the top stories here and aljazeera u. S. President donald trump the former National Security adviser has pleaded guilty to charges of lying to the f. B. I. About the extent of his russian contacts Michael Flynn says a trump official directed him to get in touch with the Russian Ambassador in december twenty sixth. Pope francis has for the first time used the word to refer to me. He made the comments of refugees in. The United Nations as a record appeal for more than twenty two billion dollars to help victims of conflict and humanitarian crises around the world yemen is the worlds worst crisis with more than twenty two Million People in. Zimbabwes new president. Has named a host of military figures to his new cabinet but no opposition politicians are included dashing hopes for an inclusive government the soldier who announced the military takeover on the National Broadcaster has been named foreign minister the head of the war veterans chris much banga has been handed the ministry and from information Patrick Chinamasa returns to run the ministry of finance a new appointments are likely to disappoint zimbabweans who had been hoping for a break with the past. Has been gauging the reaction in the town of. The announcement by president of who is in the new government is dividing opinion zimbabweans who know the new leader is a businessman a cautiously optimistic hes picked the right team others say they are disappointed at how many military commanders and politicians in the new cabinet have strong links to Robert Mugabe and the former government. Disappointed. The expectation of the people of zimbabwe we were. Beginning to have. What the expectations of the. People expect and. Expected. These University Graduates hope the new cabinet will deliver on the president s promise to create jobs many graduates confines a job. Twenty three year old innocent has a bachelors degree and is known as a graduate on a good day he makes about ten dollars selling secondhand mobile phones on the streets for me is a disappointment. Because this is what is the Current Situation ive just been forced to draw it was a bit of survival frightened with this. Was a this is what. Economists say the new cabinet has to rework scrap some of Robert Mugabes policies such as indigenization a controversial policy of black empowerment. And he buried. It because theres. Just. One percent. And they. Recently made british and chinese envoys the European Union and the United States say they are keen to reengage with zimbabwe again after years of isolation. Is. Struggling zimbabweans hope president knows what hes doing and that his policies dont scare away investors are the seal nothing will change the reality for now is that thousands of these graduates will likely join other degree holders on the street is. Economy doesnt justify. Zimbabwe. At least nine people have been killed and thirty six injured after a gunman stormed a college in pakistan and these three men dressed in womens burkas arrived in a rickshaw and the Agricultural Training Institute in the northwestern city of bashar all the attackers were killed after two hours of fighting with the army and police the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility saying it was targeting a safe house used by the i. S. I. Intelligence agency come on high that has more from is all about an order carried out by that very good dollar bond don they claimed responsibility immediately after their deadly in. The agricultural. According to officials it did not yet cleared toward war. Dog ate all of the reports about the remains but a number of people are dead and many more are wounded it is all happening at a time when the u. S. And pakistan are due to meet high level read the u. S. Secretary of defense really doing it. In great progress don will be really concerned about the groups operating from across the border in afghanistan and who are now carrying out deadly attack inside pocket gone the man suspected of masterminding last years deadly attack on a stumbles main airport has been killed in Georgia State security has revealed i still find. A nice special forces raid in the capital tbilisi just over a week ago three isom members were also killed in the operation as well as a georgian serviceman. Lebanon is struggling with another rubbish problem two years after it brought the last one under control but this time its the way the waste is being disposed off using incinerates says Public Health activists worried they know how the reports from beirut. Lebanons rubbish is being collected but its what happens next which is causing concern activists are warning of a new garbage crisis in the making and Serious Health risks. Two years ago the streets of the capital beirut and surrounding areas were clogged with un collected trash and the stench filled the air the main landfill was full and there was nowhere else to go it took months before government leaders found a temporary solution since then the mountain of voice produced every day in the lebanese capital is taken to two new coastal landfills but they are quickly becoming close to overflowing. Leaders are considering enlarging landfills and importing incinerators but environmentalists accuse them of not wanting to solve the problem. Propose all souls the problem in six months and the e. U. Is ready to offer the twenty five Million Dollars needed the problem is environmentalists looking for Sustainable Solutions for the politicians with landfills so they can reclaim land for development purposes. The situation is worse outside the capital where there are no Waste Management facilities this is one of hundreds of open waste dumps and they are being burned environmentalist say lebannon has never had a comprehensive Waste Management strategy. Human rights watch is sounding the alarm with a report called as if you are inhaling your debts the open burning of waste is dangerous say activists lebanese who live near the dumps complained about health problems. When they burned the trash i lose my breath and i cant breathe i use this inhaler because i cant take a breath. I mean my kids are growing up here and you know there is no way of protecting them what will happen to them ten to twenty years from now they will get diseases. Activists are blaming the government for failing in its obligations staff at the Environment Ministry werent available for comment theres actually very Simple Solutions to this problem and were fortunate that the vast majority of solid waste could actually be either recycled or composted but at the moment around eighty percent of it is either being landfilled or dumped and some of that is being burned. The garbage crisis did spark several weeks of protests demonstrators accusing politicians of corruption not much has changed since then except that mornings about a Public Health emergency are growing louder. German chancellor Angela Merkel and Opposition LeaderMartin Schultz say they are ready to start more talks about ending the nations political deadlock it comes after the leaders spoke in a meeting organized by president Frank Walter Steinmeier in Berlin Germany has been without a government for more than two months since both major parties lost ground to the far right in september selection michel c. D. U. Party wants to renew their alliance with schultzs social democrats but schultz has so far in reluctant. The news theres the green light for another coalition is simply false he seems to come out of the party circles ive just spoken about it with Angela Merkel on the phone and told her its on except i dont want to speculate about whos trying to harm for me one thing is clear to have a party on a false news destroys trust. And place in germany have defused an explosive device that was found at a Christmas Markets it happened in potsdam near the capital berlin evacuated the markets and cordoned it off when special forces were sent in to investigate a suspicious package delivered to a pharmacy in the area. A potential game changer in Renewable Energy has been turned on in South Australia the states premier unveiled a one hundred megawatt tesla battery on friday it was built on rural land where the one hundred day window promised by tesla mosque he had been approached by the South Australian government to establish a more stable supply for the state at that stage we thought about be the biggest battery in the nation but its proved to be the biggest battery in the world that the great thing about the lawn is that he delivers and he made a challenge he decided that hed come here and give a commitment to have this thing here and a hundred dies and he delivered on that commitment and this has put us at the center of the tick universe the Us Federal Reserve is warning that Digital Currency could pose a threat to Global Financial stability used to pay things off online but most users see it as an investment entrepreneurs wanting to cash in on the Technology Meeting in hong kong has a look at how Different Industries are hoping to capitalize on the new technology. Hong kong has always positioned itself on the cutting edge of the financial industry which is why the buzzword at this annual conference is bluffing and how the entire trading world can cash in on the technology but some warn it comes at a price it is posing new regulatory challenges the speed with which technological changes are taking place much higher than weve seen before and secondly new entrants new entrants which are in particular startups but also Big Tech Companies an example would be trying to contain the cryptocurrency phenomena in two thousand and nine bitcoin was the first to enter the scene using block change technology. There are now hundreds of crypto currency set here for the problem lies they cannot be treated like pass the script a car jesus actually its open for future use and in most cases back you said you have to be defined so that created a lot of speculation making it a highly volatile investment for large gains and losses can be made very quickly for this reason as of hammer Mainland China has expanded the trading of crypto currency and then the launch of new ones or initial calling offering forcing Companies Like this one to shut down their trading platforms across the board or its founder agrees new regulations are needed but such drastic actions are not necessary in hong kong. When youre blocking this reply right now there is your background and we share actually similar beach to the regulators to the rest productions and the money on during the securities the Hong Kong Monetary authority has told aljazeera it will continue to support financial innovations in the industry and currently is unlikely to tighten regulations or follow chinas lead which is good news for the unprecedented numbers of fin tech entrepreneurs setting up in hong kong like matthew the car who has Just Launched a block Train Company there playing the same regulation in all colors leaving china. And we wont be able to train them to use the currency anymore but Look Technology not only about three to currencies and exchanges and so you can still use look transit knology for their field experts agree they say within two years block change technology will touch every aspect of our lives the transport banking insurance or just paying bills the city now has to find a way to control some of the risks that come with this new Technology Without slowing down its evolution if you got palin says there are hong kong. Reminder of the top stories and of the us president Donald Trumps ex National Security advisor Michael Flynn as pleaded guilty to charges of making false statements to the f. B. I. Michael flynn was forced to resign after misleading the white house in january about meeting the Russian Ambassador before trying to he says he was directed to do so by a Senior Member of trumps Transition Team and now realizes his actions were wrong the charges were brought by special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into alleged russian meddling in the twenty sixth president ial poll the white house says flynn statements all phones while i was house correspondent kimberly hellcats house. This is a Significant Development in the probe by Robert Muller into whether there was possible obstruction of justice and also collusion involving the twenty sixteen president ial campaign and of course the white house has been bracing itself for some time now given the fact that we had had three previous Trump Associates charge of course paul man a fourth the Campaign Chair as well as an aide and also a Foreign Policy adviser to the president ial campaign George Papadopoulos but theres no question the charges against Michael Flynn are the most significant because of course Michael Flynn had a significant part in the early days of the top administration. Pope francis for the first time used the word to refer to the Muslim Minority following a security crackdown and the pontiff use the politically sensitive to. Refugees in the bangladeshi capital dhaka he apologized for the worlds indifference to their plight and asked them for forgiveness. United nations has launched a record a pail for more than twenty two billion dollars to help victims of conflict and humanitarian crises around the world yemen is the worlds worst humanitarian crisis with more than twenty two Million People in severe Food Shortages a cholera crisis. People have been injured. Thirty six injured after a gunman stormed a college in pakistan at least three men dressed in womens burkas carried out the attack as a headline stay with us inside stories next. Diplomatic chaos in just twenty four hours donald trump goes from threatening to destroy korea to chipping away at the socalled special relationship with its closest ally the United Kingdom is u. S. Foreign policy at a